The Ark Childrens Cultural Centre CLG (The Ark)

Lobbying Organisation The Ark Childrens Cultural Centre CLG (The Ark)

Date published 06 Aug, 2022

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 May, 2021 to 31 Aug, 2021

Specific Details Written submission to Minister Anne Rabbitte outlining The Ark's experience of the systematic impediments to the full participation of disabled artists in the arts. It outlined a particular anomaly in Social Protection regulations which prevents artists in receipt of disability payments from taking up publicly funded grants, bursaries or residencies without impacting their entitlements.

Intended results Review of the apparent anomaly in the treatment of disabled artists in receipt of disability payments compared to disabled academics who can receive publicly funded scholarships or grants without impacting their entitlements since the recent introduction of Catherine’s Law.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Aideen Howard, Director of The Ark

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Virtual Meeting (1)

A meeting with Minister Rabbitte via Zoom on 24 June 2021 to discuss the barriers to equal participation and contribution to arts, culture and society experienced by artists with disabilities.

Email (1)

Email sent 5 July as a follow-up to the meeting with Minister Rabbitte to specifically request that the Minister investigate a particular anomaly which had arisen following the introduction of the so-called Catherine’s Law. Artists in receipt of a disability allowance or blind pension may not earn more than €140 per week from their artistic work without consequently losing their disability entitlement or having that entitlement reduced. Catherine's Law had been introduced to address this issue in relation for academics in receipt of public funding who were facing the same issue. The email requested that the Minister might investigate whether artists in receipt of public funding could be afforded the same treatment.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Anne Rabbitte Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)